Baby Miho Is No More

Winter break wasn't far off. I came home from school to find Sophia stepping out of the kitchen and bowing from the waist.

"Welcome home, Master."

"Yeah. Nothing happen?"

Sophia had joined the seventeenth entry, finished the raid, and come back, and she must have learned everything a maid was supposed to learn from the old butler of Youngeun's house, because the day before yesterday she'd started working as one here—and she was better at it than I'd expected.

Maybe it came from having been a social butterfly. Her sense for a room was uncanny. The instant I thought I wanted water, water was presented. If I felt like noodles for dinner, that evening produced a noodle dish that, at a glance, could have come out of a high-end restaurant.

On top of that, I no longer had to worry about all the miscellaneous housework, and life had gotten remarkably easy.

Cleaning, for instance. Before Suhan and Sophia arrived, every day off meant a full housecleaning, and the bathroom we used most got scrubbed by all of us together, every single day. Now Suhan and Sophia handled it on their own, and it was honestly comfortable.

When I said that once the mansion under construction at the Shinchon-dong training ground was finished, I'd pull Choi Soohan and Sophia off the raid team, name Choi Soohan head butler and Sophia head maid, my lovers all said that sounded fine and threw in their support.

So I gathered the two of them and asked what they wanted. Both said they wished to devote themselves entirely to managing the great house, and accepted my offer.

The surprise was Suhan's reaction. I'd thought that if I gave Sophia the role of head maid, Choi Soohan—who had resolved to give her life as my butler—might be a little put out. Unexpectedly, she didn't object at all.

If it was going to be like that, they could have gotten along from the start. What had those first looks been about, eyes striking sparks the moment they met?

"Master. Madam Yu Youngeun left word that she will be leaving work early today."

"Yeah? Then time dinner so we can eat together."

"Yes, Master."

I took off my schoolbag, uniform jacket, and tie and handed them to Sophia. She received them respectfully in both hands and carried them off to my study.

For a moment I watched the back of the blonde girl as she went, light on her feet, slender past slender into something almost fragile.

Looking at Sophia these days, I had to wonder whether the way she used to know everyone, far and wide, spreading her connections like an octopus's arms, had only ever been part of the work. Now she didn't seem to care about other people's eyes, and she looked thoroughly at ease.

Lately I'd gotten decent at reading what people wanted, so I'd looked into Sophia's heart. She hoped this comfortable life would simply continue.

She believed that, because of the crimes she had committed up to now, an ordinary life—marrying, bearing a child, raising one—was something she could no longer have.

So Sophia, no less than Choi Soohan, was serving me with body and mind, just as she had once told me she would. That I was looking after Sophia's family myself, and with care, was probably part of why she had come to submit of her own accord.

Perhaps she'd noticed me staring at her back. Franc peeked her face into my line of sight and asked.

"Is Sophia on your mind?"

"No. I was just thinking it was the right call, not putting mental manipulation on her."

"Ah... I thought you would have set a safeguard. That was unexpected."

"It would've been convenient if I had. But when I thought about it, if Sophia lived with her family, they'd catch on right away. The Edelbergs love their children far too much."

I said it as I went to the sofa and sat, and Franc nodded. That was true enough.

"So I ran the numbers every which way and just left her be. In the end, that was the right move. Sophia came to feel kindly toward me, and so did the rest of the Edelbergs."

"That goodwill will keep piling up, so it won't shake unless the problem is truly large. No—even if the problem is large, they'll remember what came before, and it still won't shake."

"Yeah."

I propped my legs on the stool, sprawled across the sofa, and turned on my Certifier to look over the schedule. The big matters were all behind me. Was it about time to start moving in the Phase World again?

The high-grade Phase Stones I'd taken the time to stockpile had already sold through the fifth batch.

If I didn't cross over to the Phase World soon and at least pretend to hunt, suspicious looks were going to start asking where all these high-grade Phase Stones kept coming from.

To avoid needless suspicion I'd have to make the trip before long, and I could look into the Blue Devils while I was at it...

Mm. Except those Blue Devil bastards were still nowhere to be found. If there'd been even a simple trace, tracking them might have been possible. There was truly nothing. Damn it.

Winter had left the living room a little bare. Miho, who had been given a room together with Hiarid, had been gaming under the blankets; now she came toddling out into the living room.

She spotted me, scampered over, and hung off my leg as if it were a pull-up bar.

"Mashter! When are you gonna evolve me?"

...Evolve, huh.

Seen from the outside, Miho looked about seven or eight, and thanks to the white fox ears and tail the same color as her hair, she seemed like cuteness and charm had already reached their final evolution.

If a kid like that evolved into a high-tier subspecies, her strength would grow, and her body would shoot up with it.

Hm. When the flesh grows too much, there are cases where the mind can't keep up, and that becomes a problem. In practice Miho looked like a first- or second-grader, but the way she acted was no older than four or five.

I was still turning it over—whether to grow her or not—pressing my fingers into her plump little cheeks, when Miho's tiny face crumpled into a pout and she started tugging at the hem of my uniform pants.

"You said you'd evolve me~! Miho wants to help Mashter toooo! I wanna get biiig!"

Franc, watching from beside us, found Miho's fussing too cute to bear and couldn't hold in a giggle.

"Mmm."

I caught Miho by the nape and drew her in, and she stuck fast to my stomach like a baby koala. I patted that bottom, and she seized my shirttail in one tiny hand and stared up at me with a look that said keep your promise.

These past few months she hadn't made any trouble, and she'd solidly learned the morals and ethics Franc was teaching...

Franc must have noticed I was still debating whether to evolve her. She sat beside me, stroked Miho's head, and spoke.

"Didn't you know, Seoha? These days, whenever Miho has time, she plays with children around her age on the rooftop of the fifth floor of the mixed-use complex, or wanders the shopping mall on the building's first floor."

"Huh? She does?"

"Yes. Study learned only at a desk is hard to make one's own. She has already passed the stage of going out with someone and learning by playing with the children, and now she is fine going alone. Miho is quite the popular one among the children of Grand Blue's staff, you know."

I watched Miho enjoy the hand on her head with her eyes closed like a cat, a little regret in my face, and Franc pressed a soft kiss to my cheek and whispered.

"Trust Miho. She loves you, Seoha, and she wants to be of help."

...If Franc was willing to say that much, it would be all right.

"I was worried she'd go wrong, but maybe I overdid it. Then a little later, once Hwayeon and Youngeun get here, let's try evolving her."

"Okay!"

I set down Miho, who was grinning hee-hee with delight, changed out of my uniform into ordinary clothes in the dressing room, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and came back out to find her already rolling around the living room with a game console clutched in her hands.

If I evolved her into a high-tier subspecies this time, how tall would she get? I'd already confirmed, in her fox form, that she grew with every evolution, so she'd probably shed the little-kid shape as well.

...I'd be sorry if I could never see that cute shape again. I turned on the Certifier and started taking pictures.

Youngeun came home with Hwayeon, done with work, just as Sophia, in a pink frilled apron, was starting on dinner.

I waited until they had washed and come out, then spoke.

"I'm going to evolve Miho into a high-tier subspecies."

Hwayeon wore a look that said so the time has come.

"Ethics and morals have all been taught. So now it is time to evolve her."

"Evolve her~ One more tail is a sure thing, isn't it? Then she'll be a seven-tailed fox."

Looking interested, Youngeun sat down between my legs and blocked the view of Miho, who was watching TV there. Miho stuck her lip out and whined at Youngeun for sitting in front of her and hiding the screen.

"I can't see the TV."

"Hee-hee. Keep watching nothing but TV and you'll turn into a little fool, you know? Wouldn't you rather play with me than with the TV?"

"Huh? Play what?"

"A game of looking at faces?"

"...I wanna watch TV!"

Miho shoved at the breasts standing out under the sleeveless top, telling her to move, but Youngeun, far from getting out of the way, declared her cute, scooped her up tight, and rolled around with her.

Hiarid, back from the temporary lab, sat in her usual place on the spare sofa and watched us preparing to evolve Miho.

Should I inject a bit more TP into her as well, and have her form a Phase Stone inside her body? I had a feeling she'd get even stronger.

Hm. If I were away, she could exert a fair amount of force in my place, so it didn't seem bad. Making her a Highest-Rank Variant was something to think about later. Maybe after I evolved Miho.

"If Miho evolves into a high-tier subspecies, she'll be a tremendous help."

Hwayeon said it with a small smile, still damp and glistening from the bath, drinking vegetable juice as she watched Miho escape Youngeun's arms and flee. Miho seemed to have heard. She faced Youngeun in a standoff across the table, then shot one hand into the air and shouted.

"I'm gonna be a help to Mashter!"

"Yeah, yeah. Come over here and sit."

I sat on the carpet spread over the living room floor and called her. Her white ears pricked, and she trotted over to sit in front of me. Just then Sophia, in the apron with its pink frills, came out of the kitchen and looked at me.

"Master, shall I go on with preparing dinner like this?"

"How long will it take?"

"About twenty minutes, I think."

"Let's eat a little later. Wait."

Sophia must have wanted to watch as well. She came over in quick little steps, stood beside Hiarid, and started spectating with shining eyes.

Franc approached Miho, drew down the zipper at the back of the children's jumper dress, showed her palms, and said,

"Miho, arms up."

"Arms up!"

Seeing Franc pull the jumper off Miho, whose arms were thrown high, I raised the living room temperature until it felt a little warm.

Left in nothing but scarlet pumpkin panties, Miho gave a shiver, as if it were still a bit chilly, and climbed into my arms.

I brushed her snow-white hair forward. It must have tickled—she grabbed my clothes and kicked both legs—so I pressed her legs down with one hand.

"Hold still."

"Wheee-hee. Tickles~!"

At my words Miho bent her legs and crouched, looking up at me with sparkling eyes. I set my hand on that small white back and began injecting TP.

If it were my lovers, or maids like Suhan and Sophia, TP stimulating the Phase Power inside the body would have them gasping and slipping into arousal. Miho, perhaps because she was immature, only twisted her whole body noisily and found it ticklish.

She kept writhing so hard my hand slipped off, so I had no choice but to call Hwayeon and Youngeun and ask them to hold her so she couldn't move.

"Eek-hee-hee-heek! Save meee!"

With both shoulders and her waist held, the TP went in steadily, and she flailed her limbs and laughed hard enough to squeeze out tears.

"How strange. Is it because she's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠young, and her erogenous senses haven't developed?"

"That must be it. I am relieved Seoha will not have to go to a police station."

......

A-anyway, Miho's Phase Power had been 25,000, and whether it had climbed a little through the Ha Cheolsu incident, it now stood at 25,226. I kept injecting TP. Her Phase Power rose to 298,877, and then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the surplus began turning into a Phase Stone.

Once a Phase Stone formed in her heart, Miho's ticklish thrashing slowed noticeably.

"Nnnn... mmmph. Haaah..."

Eyes half-closed, breathing out slow, she babbled. She seemed to be entering a trance. Good timing. There was one measure I ought to take while I had the chance.

"I... I don't attack people... without... cause..."

I had begun to whisper at Miho's ear in Mana Voice. My lovers' eyes widened a little, but at the words that followed they gave small, wry smiles.

Hwayeon and Youngeun nodded.

"There is always the one-in-a-million case. A measure of that degree is worth putting in place."

"I... cherish my family... and... love them..."

"I'll... listen well... and be a good girl..."

Miho murmured after my words in a hazy voice, like a child under hypnosis. In the meantime her Phase Power reached 299,583, and when a Phase Stone began to form between the two hearts in her solar plexus and upper belly, she went limp as if she had fainted.

Stroking the head of Miho, who was breathing faintly, I asked Franc, who wore a bitter smile.

"Franc, do you hate that I'm half-brainwashing Miho like this?"

"Ah, that isn't what I meant. I was only worried what we would do if Miho went crooked, or if an Aberrant's nature, hostile to humans, woke in her. Seeing what you were doing, I thought—Seoha truly leaves no gap."

Franc waved her hands. It was a misunderstanding. Hwayeon and Youngeun, who had been listening quietly beside us, fiddled with the small hand of Miho as she breathed in soft little pants.

"A case like Seoha and Miho has never once appeared before, so no one knows what will come after. I find myself thinking it is good to put in at least a psychological safeguard that stresses love of family, so that we never harm Miho by our own hands."

"Of course. If Miho ever showed a face hostile to humans, she would become dangerous in more senses than one. For Miho's own safety, a preparation of that degree has to be made."

The truth was, I wasn't comfortable with it either. But if Miho ever revealed her instincts as an Aberrant, then I would have to kill her with my own hands, or put mental manipulation on her. To keep that situation from coming, I didn't think there was any other way.

I was gazing blankly at Miho when I suddenly realized that what was forming between her hearts was not a Phase Stone. It was a Blue Stone.

I hadn't noticed when I wasn't paying attention, but once I knew, it jumped out at me. Was this why an Aberrant changed into a subspecies?

I was thinking how I wished Dr. Dwight and Dr. Oh Soeun would hurry and finish a comparative analysis of Blue Stones and ordinary Phase Stones, when the Blue Stone formed inside Miho's body hit three hundred thousand TP and burst into fine fragments.

I watched the wave of blue light turn to particles and spread into every corner of Miho's body. Once the wave that had spread through her whole body had nowhere left to go, it began, little by little, to seep out of her.

Mm. There hadn't been a phenomenon like this when she became an upper subspecies. Was rising to high-tier a little different?

Somehow it felt as if the wave of blue light—the Phase Power—had nowhere left to remain inside the body, and what was left was flowing out.

As I watched Miho's body with blue light leaking from it, she grew taller without a sound, her waist drawing in a little, and a feminine grace began to come off her.

This was about the level of secondary sex characteristics. And yet...

...she had no breasts.

Her white hair, fine as silk thread, had grown long enough to fall past her hips, and the plump impish cheeks and the small, dense features were maturing like a bud opening wide into bloom.

Baby fat was slowly leaving the youthful face. She was evolving from a little child into a girl.

But she had no breasts.

Her body grew, and her arms and legs lengthened with it. By the time her height had gone from about three foot three to just under five feet, the blue light seeping from her body was fading, and hair grown as long as she was tall lay in a tangle across the living room floor...

She had no breasts.

When she stopped growing and the blue light stopped leaking, Miho stirred, then softly opened her eyes.

Ah. The cute, tiny little Miho was gone.

And still no breasts.

Miho ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠still had soft white fox ears, and one tail more than before, seven white tails now. She looked up at me with great eyes like the night sky, tilted her head, and called.

"...Master?"

Not the mischievous, slightly breathy child's voice, but a pleasant high tone passing through puberty.

At Miho's voice, tickling my ear like a breeze, I lifted a hand and stroked her head.

"Ehehe."

The way she swayed her seven white fox tails with that catlike face was still little Miho's. The little kid hadn't vanished completely.

I lowered my gaze from her face, and what came into view was a barren plain, kin to a nothingness that did not exist. I felt sorry for her.

Held in my arms, Miho examined her suddenly grown body with a wondering face. At last she felt at her chest, and with a puzzled look she patted the flatness and muttered.

"Huh? Master. Why don't I have breasts?"

I turned my eyes from Miho, who was thrusting her chest—her torso—at me as she asked, and called Franc and Hwayeon.

"Hurry and take this kid and get some clothes on her."

"...Ah?! M-Miho. You mustn't do that!"

Only then did Franc, who had been watching Miho's evolution in a daze, startle and come running in a fluster to catch Miho's arm.

"Clothes first. Come with me."

"Uuung?"

I watched Franc and Hwayeon haul Miho off by the arm toward the bedroom dressing room—the children's pumpkin panties now looking like a grown woman's tights—and wiped the cold sweat beading faintly on my forehead with my sleeve.

"Is our Seoha's dream for the future to be a harem king?"

"...What are you talking about?"

"Huge breasts, flat breasts, full breasts, the little-girl type and the fox-ear type and the angel type, a butler girl, a maid girl. You're collecting all of them."

Youngeun had come up beside me at some point and, pouting, poked my cheek again and again.

Collecting? What was she saying? I turned to her, baffled, and caught Sophia and Hiarid muttering in my ear.

"Maid... uhehe..."

=Am I the angel type?=

I also barely caught a mutter from Youngeun about some kind of... complex, but it was so quiet I couldn't make it out. And anyway, wasn't Sophia less the maid type and more the airhead type?

I gave those pouty lips a light kiss and said,

"A harem? Don't say strange things. I have no interest in anything like a harem."

"If you put TP into the Cheonchong Ungeom, don't you hear a woman's ghostly wail? Nuhodi, dwelling in Ispect, is a woman too! And Darky has femininity as well!"

Youngeun smiled with mischief and pinched my cheek lightly. It looked like simple grumbling, so I laughed it off. Still—Miho, flat-chested? Wasn't a fox usually cast in the seductive role?

Just then Miho burst out of the dressing room in sporty clothes, whining, and threw herself into my arms.

"Maaaster~! I don't have any breasts!"

Tears brimmed in her great round eyes. It was a face that was truly sad.

"How come? I thought if I grew up, my breasts would get big like Hiarid's!"

She clutched my waist, sniffling and choking up, while Franc and Hwayeon, who had followed her out, kept breaking into little laughs and looked at the whining Miho as if she were adorable.

She looked up at me with tears hanging drop by drop, as if she'd heard the sky was falling, and I started to worry about how I was supposed to explain this.

"Uh... mm. Miho. The thing is."

"Yeah!"

...Ah, screw it.

"In this world there's an unknown god called the Breast God, and that god is incredibly fickle. Gives some people big breasts, and some people small ones, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

"But the Breast God is a blonde idiot, so he hates girls who are smart and bright. He doesn't give big breasts to kids who are pretty and clever and sharp, like our Miho."

"Eeeeng..."

Miho, her face gone all crumpled, sniffled and looked in turn at Hwayeon and Youngeun, Franc and Hiarid, then turned back to me and asked.

"Then Franc and Hwayeon and Youngeun and Hiarid have big breasts because they're stupid and ugly?"

My breath caught.

"Hoh..."

"Hmm..."

"Hnn..."

M-Miho. You're trying to kill me right now.

A chill started up my spine under my lovers' cold eyes. If I didn't produce a plausible excuse fast, my life was in danger!

"Miho? What did Master say the Breast God's temper was like, just now?"

"Uuung? Really fickle, so to some people... Oh! I get it~ Because the Breast God is a fickle grump... Eeeeng! I hate the Breast God! Why are you only like this to meee!"

She latched onto my waist again and whined. As I stroked the back of her head, I snuck a glance at my lovers. They were snickering and harrumphing. Fortunately, it seemed I'd gotten away with it.

Whew.